Unfortunately, delays within the Passport Office are widespread.
I know that these delays within the Home Office have caused a great deal of anxiety and frustration among constituents. I have been receiving an increasing number of emails and phone calls from constituents reporting delays with their passport application or renewals. I would like to ask for your patience and understanding as my office is dealing with a very high number of requests regarding passports, therefore, they may take a little while to get back to you.
Please see the information below that I hope you will find helpful.
I have written directly to the Home Secretary to raise these unacceptable delays.
Please see link below for further information of action I have taken:
https://ruthcadbury.org/content/ruth-condemns-passport-failure
The Home Office have provided MP offices with this information below:
“Since April 2021, Her Majesty’s Passport Office has advised its customers to allow up to ten weeks to get their passport. We cannot expedite a passport application ahead of others simply because a holiday date is approaching, as this would be to the detriment of other customers who have been waiting longer and have no lesser need for these services.”
If you are affected…
The current guidance is that people need to allow up to 10 weeks for standard passport processing. However, if there are compassionate grounds for your need to travel urgently, this will be reviewed provided you submit supporting evidence with your application or people who are travelling for certain jobs again with supporting evidence.
You can track your passport see link below:
https://www.gov.uk/track-passport-application
Where HM Passport Office has had a UK-based customer’s application more than ten weeks and can evidence they are due to travel within the next fortnight, their application will be expedited. Should a constituent meet the criteria, or if there is an urgent need for passport services on compassionate grounds or work, an expedited application should be arranged via the Passport Adviceline (0300 222 0000) Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm - Saturday, Sunday and UK bank holidays, 9am to 5:30pm
Applying for a new passport or renewal:
It is cheapest and easiest to apply online at: gov.uk/apply-renew-passport
If you require a passport urgently, you can pay for a guaranteed service (Online Premium or Fast Track) by booking an appointment these can be booked up to 3 weeks in advance online at: www.gov.uk/get-a-passport-urgently
If you have been waiting more than 10 weeks and are due to travel within 2 weeks, I can raise individual cases with the Home Office. Please get in touch with my office by email ruth@ruthcadbury.org.uk and make sure you include your full name, address in the constituency, date of birth, date of application and any reference numbers.
You may find the link below helpful for any further information you require: https://www.gov.uk/browse/abroad/passports
Complaints:
If you would like to make a complaint regarding how the Home Office have handled your application, please see the link below:
Complaints procedure - HM Passport Office - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)